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Due to some technical problems, It was impossible for me to post/publish any matter on SILENT VOICE myself for over a month. However, Our team members, who are working behind the scene, did the job in excellent manner. I am grateful to them for keeping the page moving. I am also grateful to all of you for remaining with SILENT VOICE.

I assure you all, SILENT VOICE will begin its journey in full zest of bringing out the TRUTH…….The greatest Value of Christianity.

GREG

CATHOLICS FOR TRUTH TRANSPARENCY AND WEEDING OF CORRUPT PRACTICES AT PARISH LEVEL.

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He was also happy to know that the Church is working with inmates of correctional homes and has established a clinic in every parish.

Posted on August 26, 2014, 9:05 PM

Kolkata:
President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday laid the foundation stone of Daya Duar Mini Hospital at a function held in the Church of Palsanda in West Bengal, lauding the Church services.

The President lauded services of the Church at Palsanda for the betterment of tribal population in the area.

“Tribal communities lag behind the general population in maternal and child mortality, access to education and size of agricultural holdings. They are yet to receive full benefits of development despite tribal sub plans under our Five Year Plans and allocation of substantial funds. This is because of problems in our delivery mechanisms,” the president said.

As per the 2011 Census, the tribal population in India is 104 million and accounts for 8.6 per cent of the total population of the nation.

“Our path of development faces a dichotomy. We need to exploit our mineral and forest resources but often that results in displacement and uprooting of our tribals who are the best protectors of these resources. Law and order problems arise when there is a feeling that proper compensation has not been paid and rehabilitation packages provided,” he said.

The Constitution guarantees that land belonging to the tribals should not be alienated but sadly it still happens due to the ignorance of the tribals and greed of non tribals,” he added.

The president lauded the Church’s services at Palsanda in the field of education, social work, and health care for the people of the area.

He said he was happy to know about the five English medium high schools, the Azimganj Bengali medium Residential School and other residential hostels run by the Church.

He was also happy to know that the Church is working with inmates of correctional homes and has established a clinic in every parish.

The President said it is good that Missionaries are working to spread all round development and not just education. Christian teachings such as ‘Service of humanity is God’s service’ and ‘Love the neighbor’ reinforce India’s core civilization values.

He also appreciated relentless efforts of the Church leaders for community welfare and said their example will inspire many more to join in the service of people, nation and God.

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Catechism of the Catholic Church

The resurrection of all the dead, “of both the just and the unjust,” will precede the Last Judgment. This will be “the hour when all who are in the tombs will hear [the Son of man’s] voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.” Then Christ will come “in his glory, and all the angels with him…. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left…. And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”(Rev 21:4)

In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare. The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life:

All that the wicked do is recorded, and they do not know. When “our God comes, he does not keep silence.”… He will turn towards those at his left hand:…”I placed my poor little ones on earth for you. I as their head was seated in heaven at the right hand of my Father – but on earth my members were suffering, my members on earth were in need. If you gave anything to my members, what you gave would reach their Head. Would that you had known that my little ones were in need when I placed them on earth for you and appointed them your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury. But you have placed nothing in their hands; therefore you have found nothing in my presence.”

The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God’s justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God’s love is stronger than death.

The message of the Last Judgment calls men to conversion while God is still giving them “the acceptable time, … the day of salvation.” It inspires a holy fear of God and commits them to the justice of the Kingdom of God. It proclaims the “blessed hope” of the Lord’s return, when he will come “to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all who have believed.”

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Thousands joined the program in New Delhi, Bhubaneswar and other Indian cities.

Posted on August 26, 2014, 8:52 AM

New Delhi :

Kandhamal Day was observed in the national capital as well as in major cities and Tribal areas on Monday to demand justice for the victims-survivors of the anti-Christian violence in the Kandhamal district of Orissa in 2008.

State chief minister Naveen Pattnaik had told the Legislative Assembly that the violence was carried out by activists of the Sangh Parivar.

In New Delhi, the rally was held at Jantar Mantar, marked by performances by artistes and speeches against communal violence, for justice and harmony by social, civil society, gender, Dalit, Tribal and religious freedom activists and leaders of Christian groups.

Similar programs were held in Kandhamal, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and other cities.

The 2008 violence which continued for three months was recorded as the most severe persecution of the community in 300 years. The National Peoples Tribunal recorded that over 56,000 children, women and men, all of them Dalits or Tribals, were displaced and forced to flee into the forests as mobs burnt down over 5,600 houses, 300 big and small churches, schools, hostels and medical centers.

An estimated 120 men and women were killed, many hacked to death by axes and machetes and several burnt alive. The murdered men included Christian priests of several denominations. At least three women were gang raped, including a Catholic Nun.

Speakers said urgent action must be taken to confront past crimes and bring the perpetrators of the Kandhamal communal violence to justice. Inasmuch as these issues are ignored, impunity will continue and the indulgence of divisive communal mentality.

The criminal justice, relief and rehabilitation systems have all failed the victim-survivors.

Out of 3331 complaints, only 800 or so FIRs were registered. Out of those, only 518 cases charges-sheeted. Just 247 cases have been disposed off with a high number of acquittals. Out of 30 murder cases that have been tried so far, only 2 resulted in conviction for murder, and about in four for lesser offences (than murder). All others have resulted in an acquittal.

The demands included immediate release of all victims facing fabricated charges including the use of draconian law UAPA and legal action against against all culprits who have been responsible for violence in Kandhamal.

They also asked for stern action against politicians and organizations directly or indirectly involved in the violence or facilitated the communal violence.

Relief and rehabilitation have been extremely tardy with the authorities failing in their duties to provide assurances of long term security, as well as resources and opportunities including employment to rebuild their lives. The victims have approached the Supreme Court of India for relief.

Compensation to all affected people as well as institutions in Kandhamal and institution of a high level Special Investigation Team instituted to enquire into the roles of the administration and the police machinery in the riots were part of the demands.

The trigger of the violence that commenced on the 24 August 2008 came about by the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati in his ashram. The Maoist leadership admitted to the killing, the RSS in Orissa averred the crime to Christian groups. Seven Christians were accused for the murder of the Lakshmanananda despite the lack of evidence against them.

The absence of justice and the chaotic system has crated a situation of impunity. As a result there are increased incidents of rape and murder of women and girls in Kandhamal in recent times. The lawlessness and impunity have contributed to that. The lack of security has seen thousands of people unable to return to their villages, while an estimated 10,000 have had to become migrant labour in other states.

The atrocities that happened there bear similarities to other communal violence such as the slaughter of Muslim minorities in Gujarat (2002) and Muzaffarnagar (2013) and the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage. An unsettling fact about these attacks is that they have been pre-meditated, targeted and systematic. It is an onslaught on religious minorities, aimed at disrupting normalcy of life and eradicating their religious identity, culture and heritage.